Multi-term Mecklenburg County commissioner won’t run for reelection in 2026

Mecklenburg County Commissioner Laura Meier will not seek another term in office.

Meier, a Democrat first elected in 2020 to represent south Mecklenburg’s District 5, said at Tuesday’s county commission meeting she will not run for reelection in 2026.

“This has been a deeply personal and difficult choice, because serving this community has been one of the greatest honors of my life, and I’m deeply grateful for the trust you have placed in me,” she said.

Meier, 56, vowed to finish her current term but said now “is the right time to make space for new leadership and fresh ideas.”

“There is a whole younger generation out there that are waiting to make a difference,” she said.

Meier said Tuesday’s meeting may seem like an “odd time” to make her announcement given U.S. Border Patrol’s controversial ongoing operation in the county, “but for various reasons, I need to go ahead and do this.” County Commissioners read a proclamation in support of Charlotte’s immigrant community at Tuesday’s meeting and heard from multiple residents about their concerns with Border Patrol’s arrests.

“After the gut-wrenching last few days of watching our friends and our neighbors, our brothers, our sisters, become terrorized, I’m committed to serving this community more than ever,” Meier said. “And having said that, as you all know, one doesn’t have to be elected to serve the community.”

Meier won reelection to a third two-year term in 2024, defeating Republican Art McCulloch by a margin of 55.5% to 44.5%.

Before taking office, she worked as a campaign manager and volunteer. Meier previously served on the boards of Charlotte Women’s March, Cops and Barbers and Lillian’s List.

Her fellow commissioners gave her a standing ovation and praised her passion for the community from the dais after Meier made her announcement.

“When I first met Commissioner Meier, she was a community activist, and those are her roots,” Vice Chair Leigh Altman said. “And it’s been amazing to watch you in leadership. I know that you will continue just where you began, and that is serving the community.”